Roller blades, skates, longboards, skateboards, and scooters all have one thing in common: they are all understood to be allowed anywhere a bicycle is. Paved bike trails, bike lanes, sidewalks, roads, and other areas where bicycles are allowed is all fair game for them.
The same can not be said for electric skateboards, which are becoming more mainstream by the day. There is some confusion about where they are allowed, and if they are considered a motor vehicle. Because personal electric vehicles such as these are not well defined or recognized by the state, rules for them are often up to the discretion and interpretation of those expected to enforce them. So far owners of electric skateboards have enjoyed a golden period in which the lack of definition and market penetration has limited awareness and rule making, allowing enforcement officers to ignore them or take only a passing personal interest in them. As more people engage in electric skateboarding, this will change.
The objective of this petition is to remove any ambiguity regarding electric skateboards and treat personal electric vehicles such as electric skateboards the same as bicycles, allowing them anywhere a bicycle is allowed. Electric skateboards often have the same speed capabilities as bicycles but have a smaller footprint, making them an ideal and environmentally friendly commuter vehicle where paved trails are accessible. Their use as such should be encouraged as we do what we can to reduce our use of fossil fuels and invest in greener alternatives in transportation.
For more information about what electric skateboards are and what kinds of questions and comments we're dealing with, visit https://longhairedboy.com/blogs/whats-happening/my-petition-to-explicitly-allow-esk8s-in-bike-lanes
New and innovative forms of transportation are coming. Alternatives to fossil fuels are in demand, and we must make ourselves aware of the new and exciting ways we have at our disposal to get from point A to point B. Electric skateboards are the best example of this. People are looking for better, more interesting ways to commute to work and travel short distances in general. By allowing electric skateboards to be ridden and respected in all of the same places as bicycles, we are paving the way for a brighter, greener, and generally more enjoyable future for personal electric vehicles and the more environmentally reponsible transportion options they provide.
